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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29042592">starlight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/crunchberry/pseuds/crunchberry'>crunchberry</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>whispers in the dark [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>World of Warcraft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Dark rangers, F/F, Humor, Insanity, Inspired by Ghosting by Mother Mother, Undead Jaina Proudmoore, anya caught the big mommy gay, family issues because of course, im obsessed with that fucking song, lyanas a gossip</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:42:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,950</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29042592</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/crunchberry/pseuds/crunchberry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Heroes don’t exist, Sylvanas.” Jaina replied, standing from her seat. “They shouldn’t anyway, but there are always dissenters that believe what they will.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jaina Proudmoore/Sylvanas Windrunner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>whispers in the dark [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095113</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>starlight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>its upsetting how addicted i am to playing ghosting full volume and thinking of jaina and her relationship with her mother.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Undeath was something that she’d never entertained.</p>
<p>She wasn’t cocky, or thought herself above death but she hadn’t expected to become Forsaken like so many others. It was a strange existence.</p>
<p>It wasn’t horrible as the <em> living </em>made it.</p>
<p>It was quiet and subdued.</p>
<p><em> She </em>was more quiet and subdued.</p>
<p>Well, she had been after her catatonia and transitioning into acceptance of her death.</p>
<p>Now though, she was <em> livid. </em></p>
<p><em> Livid </em> and <em> eager. </em></p>
<p>Eager to drown the Lord Admiral--no, <em> Katherine Proudmoore </em>in her own lies and shame.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>--</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Lady Proudmoore?” </p>
<p>Jaina blinked from her stupor, turning to find an inquisitive look on a dark ranger’s face, Anya.</p>
<p>“Mh,” She gave a noncommittal hum, fixing the shorter woman with a raised brow. “Forgive me, Anya. I was… lost in thought it seems.”</p>
<p>The dark ranger gave a nod. </p>
<p>“Your report?” </p>
<p>Anya’s ears perked at attention, something that delighted Jaina to no end. Elves and their ears. </p>
<p>“The Lord Admiral is arranging for naval advancements, it seems, on <em> your </em>behalf.” Anya murmured, face pulled in a frown. “From what she’s told her council, she wishes to save you from ‘those disgusting walking corpses.’”</p>
<p>Jaina’s expression softened and she lifted a hand to the elf’s cheek, stroking her thumb over Anya’s cheekbone. “Pay those words no mind, Anya. She’s gotten about recently with her tongue, it won’t be a problem soon.” </p>
<p>The elf went stiff at the gentle touch, mouth opening then shutting with a quiet clack. </p>
<p>Jaina found it amusing how a simple touch from her sent any of Sylvanas’ rangers into such a state, she assumed because of her touch; while it was still cold like any undead, arcane flowed freely through her like an endless pool.</p>
<p>Thanks to Theramore.</p>
<p>She suddenly felt ill, pulling her hand back.</p>
<p>“Yes… thank you, Anya,” She nodded quietly, stepping back and starting down the hallway. “I’ve taken enough of your time, as you were…” </p>
<p>Jaina didn’t have to turn to know the ranger had already disappeared into the shadows of the corridor.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>--</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I would appreciate if you didn’t expend my rangers over spying on your mother.” </p>
<p>Jaina tensed at her desk, hand pausing in its signing of recent reports. She was at a loss of words, apparently.</p>
<p>“Expend?” She chose finally.</p>
<p>“Yes, expend. I’ve found Anya and others absent for a time. I had wondered why until I saw your little display in the corridor last fortnight.” Sylvanas materialized from the shadows, expression not angered but reserved. </p>
<p>“Display?” Jaina found herself chuckling. “Are you jealous of your <em> own </em>rangers, Warchief?”</p>
<p>Sylvanas gave an unamused tinge of her ears, face set in a neutral frown. </p>
<p>Jaina snorted; she knew the answer.</p>
<p>“Your mother is advancing her navy, from what I understand?” Sylvanas sobered, stepping closer.</p>
<p>Jaina’s gentle smile left her and replaced itself with a thoughtful frown. </p>
<p>“She has this idea that she’s a hero, that she’ll <em> save </em>me even if she was the one to cause it all.” The mage explained.</p>
<p>“Hardly a hero.” Sylvanas noted.</p>
<p>“Heroes don’t exist, Sylvanas.” Jaina replied, standing from her seat. “They shouldn’t anyway, but there are always dissenters that believe what they will.”</p>
<p>The taller woman watched the mage with a raised brow.</p>
<p>Jaina had moved to the door of her room, pulling it open and stepping through.</p>
<p>“Your mother is one of those dissenters, I assume?” Sylvanas asked.</p>
<p>“Yes, and if she wants to be a hero…” Jaina trailed off.</p>
<p>Sylvanas turned to look at the mage fully, only for her ears to pin back at all too blue eyes, pale and gleaming. </p>
<p>Terrifying. </p>
<p>Wild. </p>
<p>Like <em> his. </em></p>
<p>“...then she’ll die like one.” Came Jaina’s  lilting whisper.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-- </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Katherine Proudmoore cut quite the figure among Boralus and Kul Tiran council.</p>
<p>Even back when she had been her little one, her starlight, her <em> daughter. </em></p>
<p>She faintly recalled her father and Derek’s jokes would quiet immediately at the presence of just <em> one </em>of her glares. </p>
<p>Her father would placate her when she was young, saying she’d never be on the other end of one of those looks.</p>
<p>How wrong he was. </p>
<p>As surreal as it had been being disowned publicly by her own mother, she found it almost amusing how quickly the woman had come running back to her; a puppy grovelling at its master’s feet. </p>
<p>She grinned at the irony of it all.</p>
<p>“Lady Proudmoore?”</p>
<p>She turned and found Lyana standing at her study’s doorway, bowed at the hip.</p>
<p>“Enough of that, Lyana,” She snorted, dismissing her with a noncommittal wave of her hand. “What have you found?”</p>
<p>“As of my informants, nothing.”</p>
<p>Jaina chuckled. “And what of your gossips?”</p>
<p>“Kul Tiras is offering naval assistance to the Alliance.” </p>
<p>Jaina hummed, flashing an amused smile to the elf. “Who knew gossips were so efficient, hm?”</p>
<p>“I did but I suppose that’s just a rumor.” Lyana humored her, giving the mage a brief grin before slinking back into the shadows. </p>
<p>“Mh, thank you, Lyana.” Jaina hummed to the darkness.</p>
<p>She swore she heard giggling.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>--</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jaina looked a lot like Katherine, Anduin decided. </p>
<p>She inherited the strong jaw, the set glare, and the broad figure. He assumed that everything else belonged to the late Grand Admiral, given it all. </p>
<p>The woman was something to be revered and respected; she commanded the attention of the room with a single raised brow. Jaina had done the same thing nearly a year and a half ago, before she’d been turned into something not even the Light could save.</p>
<p>What confused him was her request.</p>
<p>“You offer us some of your fleet in exchange of--?”</p>
<p>“Troops.”</p>
<p>He blinked at the blunt tone. “Troops, My Lady?”</p>
<p>She set her jaw and it clenched, her eyes gone near feral. </p>
<p>“That beast has my daughter as of your recent reports. I’ll put a bullet through its head as soon as I’m right able.” </p>
<p>Genn didn’t seem against it in the slightest.</p>
<p>Tyrande’s sour expression at the sheer mention of the banshee most likely meant she was all for it as well.</p>
<p>Wrathion and others surrounded the war room’s table with an air of caution.</p>
<p>“Attacking the newly-taken Lordaeron with such a power as Lady Proudmoore would make it nigh impossible to come up with any luck.” Taelia spoke up from Anduin’s side, if only to break the tension.</p>
<p>“She was <em> my </em> daughter before she was <em> her </em>slave, girl.” Katherine hissed.</p>
<p>Anduin cleared his throat. </p>
<p>Everyone stilled.</p>
<p>“I agree with Lady Fordragon. As much as it pains me to watch an old friend be <em> twisted </em>in such a way, we can’t very well save her while still maintaining the Alliance’s forefront purpose.” </p>
<p>Katherine stared incredulously at the High King, as if imagining how many ways she could gut him.</p>
<p>Tyrande’s constant glare seemed to soften at the mention of the Alliance; she had a sense of honor after all.</p>
<p>Genn was seething just as much as Katherine while Wrathion, Taelia, Shaw and the others assembled seemed to quiet.</p>
<p>And in that quiet, the air prickled with an intensity almost impervious as it was deadly.</p>
<p>And with that heavy air came slow and deliberate footfalls as well as pale glowing eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>--</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, isn’t this <em> something?” </em> </p>
<p>Swords and daggers were pulled from sheaths, warriors guarding their leaders from impending doom.</p>
<p>In the form of a woman.</p>
<p>Broad-formed, with a set of pale blue eyes and a glare that could frighten any suspecting charge. </p>
<p>“The heroes of Azeroth, united and banded together...” Came her withering drawl.</p>
<p>Katherine seemed to wilt at the sound of her voice.</p>
<p>“My starli--”</p>
<p>Pain.</p>
<p>Pain ran through her left leg and when she looked down, all she saw was blood.</p>
<p>A large spike of ice jutted out from the ground and through her shin.</p>
<p>She fought not to scream while unwavering blue eyes shimmered, filtering through each of the faces before them.</p>
<p>“Banded together for some sense of peace. On that we once agreed.”</p>
<p>Tyrande’s blackened eyes glared into the gleaming blue before them all.</p>
<p>“If you agree on peace, then let us keep it.”</p>
<p>Jaina’s head tilted and the shadows receded only slightly for them to see her face; what a terrifying sight it was, to be on the other end of this look.</p>
<p>“I think you’re confusing ‘peace’ with ‘silence.’” She lilted back eerily. “In any case, I’m not here for <em> you </em>. Not yet.”</p>
<p>Tyrande tensed at her choice of words.</p>
<p>Anduin didn’t have to ask who Jaina was here for, the spiked ice said it all.</p>
<p>“You can’t expect us to--” Shaw began.</p>
<p>“Don’t expect anything then. Act as if nothing happened to the Alliance because <em> nothing </em> did. Kul Tiras pulled back from the Alliance’s--well-- <em> alliance.” </em>Jaina smiled a smile that wasn’t at all friendly or soothing. “So, the little nation by the sea is none of your concern.”</p>
<p>Leaders who would dare revolt were silenced by the sheer intensity of those shining blue eyes.</p>
<p>“Unless, you <em> wish </em>it to be your concern?”</p>
<p>Anduin swallowed.</p>
<p>Katherine was pale at the sight of this abomination standing in her daughter’s body.</p>
<p>“Jaina…”</p>
<p>The woman turned to her with a look that dared her to say something.</p>
<p>So she did.</p>
<p>“Ashvane poisoned me with lies and for that she paid dearly, I know now what I did--”</p>
<p>“So, you expect to grovel at my feet like some kicked pup and earn your forgiveness?” She asked coldly. “You let her govern your own nation all because you couldn’t set aside your pride. And now look at you, the last <em> living </em>Proudmoore. What a sight.”</p>
<p>The older woman shrunk into herself only justly. </p>
<p>“You want to protect <em> your </em> world or this <em> idea </em>of your world, but you don’t want it to change either.” Jaina directed her gaze to the entire room. “It’s almost annoying.”</p>
<p>“And what would you have us do?! Bend over backwards for the Horde?! For monsters and demons who wish for nothing but war?!” Genn snapped.</p>
<p>“You’re one to talk, worgen.” Jaina hissed in a voice all too icy; spikes of frost had already begun growing around the walls of the room, so much so that their breaths all began to mist in front of them. “Haven’t I told you to hold your tongue before? That it would save your life?”</p>
<p>“And I ask again, is that a threat?” Genn growled, hand hovering over his weapon.</p>
<p>Jaina spared the other leaders a onceover, saw how feebly ill-prepared they were for her arrival; this was rather impromptu so she wouldn’t blame them. “It would seem not, call it advice actually.” She murmured, tossing a glance back at her mother, who still bled.</p>
<p>She found her anger boundless, her fury, her agony, her sadness. All of it was boundless to the elder Proudmoore. </p>
<p>Killing her wouldn't make it stop. Wouldn't make <em>them stop.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Ahoy, ahoy, sweet daughter of the seas. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her pupils narrowed and she stepped forward.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Ahoy, this child be mine. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She stepped forward until she was before Katherine, the other woman gazing up at her from her hunched position. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> The Admiral’s girl. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her blue eyes burned with a flame that would’ve surely made herself cry in agony, if she were alive that is.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> His whole entire world. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her hand misted with frozen power, just one touch to the older woman’s skin and she was victim to her frostlance or worse.</p>
<p>Just one touch.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> For as long… </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She stepped back and the ice spikes that had grown so close to the other leaders receded.</p>
<p>Jaina’s form started to warble, a sigil gleaming at the ground; a portal.</p>
<p>Katherine watched her with wet and broken eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> For as long… </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You are nothing to me.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> … as stars do shine. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With a flicker of her pale blue eyes, she was gone. </p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
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